Terrified Elflings On A Runaway Buggy
by adromir
Summary: What would happen if little Legolas and little Arwen decide to drive a buggy when they obviously don't know how to handle it? Yep, that's right. Chaos!
1. Default Chapter

**Summary :**** What would happen if little Legolas and little Arwen decide to drive a buggy when they obviously don't know how to handle it? Yep. Chaos!**

**I'm so very, very, very, _very_ sorry. I know I'm late. So sue me. He he he.**

**All right, guys, I'm back. Yes, I'm still alive and breathing, so worry no more. I was delayed due to several reasons. One, the external auditors came to check the company's accounts. These people are like FBI agents, asking me questions upon questions and cross-examining me as if I were a convicted felon or something. LOL! Secondly, I hit a brick wall while writing this story! Grrr! Like I told my beta, my plot bunnies just up and went to Siberia for a picnic! Thank god they are back and the auditors are now gone! Now I can breathe easier, and my brain can start functioning back to normal.**

**Now, then.**** What's with this fic? Yes, it's the chibi-Legolas story like I've promised before this. Elrond's children are co-starring to create a bedlam. Legolas and Arwen's ages are equivalent to human's six and seven years old respectively, while Keldarion and the twins are around sixteen. Yep, they are gonna act pretty stupid in this one. Remember your childhood days when you attempted to drive your father's car but your foot can't even reach the break pedal? Right. I think you got the picture. (My younger brother tried to drive our father's car when he was eight. He hit our neighbor's brand new motorcycle instead. Ouch! Err…no, that was not a pretty scene.)**

**Before we move on to the story, I would like to thank Seylin aka Dur En Thurin Naur for letting me use her suggestion of that signboard which said 'Older Brothers Are Not Allowed'. Mellon, this fic is especially for you.**

**Enjoy it, everyone!**

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_"Older Brothers Are Not Allowed."_

The three elves stared at the signboard tacked to the tree, written in an untidy childish scrawl on a thin plank of wood.

"Hmm." Elrohir son of Elrond frowned, rubbing his chin. "Older brothers? As in, _us_?"

Elladan, his twin, glanced at the tree house perched among the sturdy branches high above their heads. "Yep. I think they definitely mean us. There are no other older brothers around."

With a bark of laughter, Keldarion Thranduilion clapped Elrohir on the shoulder. "Why look so disappointed, Ro? Surely you are not missing those two troublesome elflings already!"

Smiling sheepishly, Elrohir turned to the Mirkwood crown prince. "I don't miss them, exactly. I'm just curious. What are they doing up there?"

"Playing 'king and queen', I suppose," Elladan suggested, cocking one eyebrow.

"Or maybe, they are playing 'husband and wife'," Keldarion supplied with a naughty grin.

Elrohir gurgled with laughter. "Oh, I wished I could see them right now. I want to know how they can bear each other's company without pulling at the other's hair. They are like an old married couple!"

Keldarion and Elladan exchanged meaningful glances, their eyes shining with mischief.

"Let's find out, shall we?" the prince said, smiling broadly. He leaped onto the nearest limb and effortlessly began to scale up the tree trunk. Grinning with anticipation, Elrohir followed his actions.

"Sure. Why not?" Elladan muttered with a shrug, a moment before he also leaped after them.

Keldarion had come about ten feet below the tree house when he sensed rather than saw an object come hurtling straight for his head. In quick reflex, he twisted his body out off harm's way.

The 'missile' hit Elrohir instead.

"Yeowww!" Elrohir gave out a startled cry as the object landed squarely on his face. He frantically brushed away the offending mass of squishy pulp, nearly losing his hold in the process.

"It's a rotten tomato!" As the younger twin screwed his face in disgust, smelly juice running down his chin, Keldarion and Elladan hooted with laughter, almost bent at the waist with hilarity.

More tomatoes fell from above then.

"Aaiiee!" They stopped laughing instantly and leaped hastily about to avoid being hit.

"Take that, you pigs!" Legolas cried out as he hurled another tomato. He smiled in satisfaction as it smacked his elder brother on the back of the head.

"Stay away from our fort!" Arwen was shouting beside him, hurling the last tomato down.

Between them, the two had managed to smuggle six of the rotten fare from the grand kitchen's garbage pan—without the cook's knowledge, of course. And now, they were left with a small sack of potatoes for weapons, freshly picked from the vegetable garden that morning. It had been quite a straining effort dragging the bundle up the tall tree, but witnessing the comical look on their elder brothers' faces right now was extremely worth it.

"Here, take some more!" The small golden-haired prince started throwing the potatoes. He jumped up and down with glee when the three elves below were heard yelling and swearing.

His eyes narrowing to a slit, Keldarion glared up at the tree house in grim determination. Tomato juice was dripping in his long dark hair, and there was a good sized bump on his temple from a flying potato on which the impact almost sent him reeling to the ground.

"My fellow warriors," said the prince to his companions, his head already in the game, "ATTACK!"

With loud battle cries, the three young elves hastily scrambled up the trunk like a pack of wild monkeys. Amid hurtling potatoes, they climbed over into the tree house through the opened window, and descended upon their two hapless victims.

Keldarion and Elrohir each grabbed Legolas' arms and legs, pinning him to the floor. Arwen, meanwhile, was kicking and screaming in Elladan's arms.

"Get off me, you oafs!" Legolas growled as he struggled for release.

Keldarion grinned. "Say that you yield to us."

"I will not!" the little prince shot back, and flung a fist towards his brother's eye. Keldarion quickly jumped out of the way, still grinning.

"Put me down, you… you bully!" Arwen shrieked. She reached up and yanked down Elladan's hair. Hard.

Elladan howled.

"WHAT THE BLAZES IS GOING ON UP THERE!"

Everyone went still when they heard the familiar booming voice coming from below. After a brief silence, Legolas started to cry out, "Father, help! We are being invaded!"

"Legolas?" Thranduil frowned, already climbing up the big tree. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine, but you have to come up here to stop me from killing Kel!"

The king of Mirkwood paused briefly, his eyes rolling. _I should have known._

Thranduil had been having a peaceful and relaxing time by himself in his study, trying to catch up on some reading, when he heard the children's loud screaming coming from the garden. Afraid that the youngest ones had been stung by the bees or met an accident of some kind—which was usually the case when those silly imps were together—the harried father had ran outside to look for them. And found himself face to face with this blasted tree.

Thranduil sighed, pulling himself over a sturdy limb and grabbing another as he climbed upwards. Those five young hellions had given him quite a headache since Elrond's arrival with his entire family two days ago. They were to attend the coming Spring Festival, an event anticipated greatly by the Mirkwood people for the last ten years. There would be a large feast for three days straight, as well as singing and dancing and a fun-fair carnival for the children.

Keldarion and the twins had automatically switched into high gear, exploring every nook and cranny of the realm and getting in the way of the workers that were putting up the tents and platforms, acting like any young untested warriors. Naturally, Legolas would run after them to join the adventure, but the elder boys managed to shake him off their tail. Livid, the little prince had to settle with Arwen, who seemed very determined to stick fast to him!

At first, Legolas had felt quite insulted, left behind to play with a _girl_. But he gradually began to like his partner-in-crime. Smart and pretty, Arwen always came up with brilliant ideas to torment their elder brothers. She was the one who had suggested the rotten tomatoes and potatoes. And yesterday, they had worked together to put a plate of flour on the doorway of the twins' bedroom—except that the prank had not worked according to their plan. Lord Elrond had suddenly entered the chamber, searching for his wayward daughter.

Well, he _did _find her, all right. Not to mention the flour.

A smile broke across Thranduil's face as he recalled his friend's appearance minutes after the incident. _No, Elrond doesn't look good in white._

Another round of shrieking and yelling broke up above his head, causing Thranduil to quicken his ascent. Swearing at himself for ever falling to Legolas' demands in having a tree house to play fort, he leaped over the windowsill and glared at the occupants.

"STOP THE RACKET RIGHT THIS MINUTE!"

They all stopped.

Wrapped tightly in Elladan's arms, Arwen had her teeth clamped on his brother's left ear. On the floor, sandwiched between Elrohir and Keldarion, Legolas was squeezing the elder prince's throat in one hand, while yanking Elrohir's hair with the other.

"What's the meaning of this?" the king asked, aiming ferocious scowls at his two sons.

Releasing his 'attackers', Legolas leaped to his feet and ran headlong into his father's embrace. "They invaded my fort! I need backup!"

Arwen also struggled out of Elladan's grip. She flung her arms around the king's waist, looking up at him with huge soulful eyes. "Please help us, my lord. These evil miscreants are trying to steal my virtue."

"Err…" Thranduil blinked at this, completely lost for words.

Elladan was biting his lip, trying hard not to laugh, while Elrohir and Keldarion were already choking with mirth. After sending them a glare that sobered them quickly enough, Thranduil turned to Arwen.

"Hop on, my sweet lady," he said, hoisting the daughter of Elrond onto his back. "I'll take you to the grand palace of mine where you can stay and be my queen. These…err…_evil miscreants_ won't hurt you there."

Giggling, Arwen settled comfortably into her piggy-back ride, much to Legolas' jealousy.

"Hey! That's not fair! I want to ride too!" the prince cried out, and began tugging her off his father's back. She resisted. And in no time at all, the two elflings had launched themselves into a noisy scuffle.

"Ai! Ai! Stop that." Elladan and Elrohir helped pulled their sister away from Legolas.

"Well, there goes their blissful 'honeymoon'." Keldarion grinned widely as he held on to the back of his brother's shirt. Legolas was still reaching about for Arwen's throat.

Thranduil threw his arms up into the air. "Valar give me strength."

"Hello? Anybody home?"

They all turned when Elrond suddenly appeared at the window. Looking amused, the lord of Rivendell swung his legs over the windowsill and took in the scenery. Screaming in delight, Arwen leaped into her father's arms.

"Hello, princess." Elrond lovingly stroked his daughter's long dark hair. He cocked an eyebrow at the other father. "Why, Thranduil, a great king like you losing control over mere children like these?"

The great king in question snorted as he picked up his youngest son. "A fine one to speak, you are. As if you did any better yesterday with that flour covering your head."

Arwen and Legolas looked at one another and broke into a fit of giggles, friends once more. Smiling himself, Elrond chucked his giggling daughter under the chin. "Creating troubles again, aren't you?"

"No, we didn't," Legolas quickly replied on Arwen's defense. He glared at their elder brothers. "We were just playing up here, minding our own business, when they came to attack us."

For the first time, the two fathers got a good look at their elder sons' appearance.

"You're all a mess," Thranduil frankly stated, eyeing the three youngsters up and down.

"Aye. And what's that smell?" Elrond wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Is that tomato in your hair?"

Keldarion and the twins exchanged wry glances as they self-consciously brushed the offending remains off their persons. Incredibly pleased of what they had done, Arwen and Legolas pointed at their brothers and started laughing like a pair of loons. Their laughter was so contagious that their respective fathers couldn't help grinning widely in deep amusement.

"All right, you two," said Thranduil, ruffling Legolas' hair. "Enough tormenting them. You need a bath."

Legolas stopped laughing abruptly. His eyes widened in dismay. "Bath? _No_!"

To Thranduil's surprise, his young son wiggled frantically to get down. "Legolas! What…?"

"No bath! I want to play!" the little prince demanded, dancing out of his father's reach.

Thranduil frowned with displeasure. Without looking away from his headstrong little boy, he calmly ordered, "Help me catch him."

Hearing that, Keldarion and the twins simultaneously charged upon Legolas. The elfling shrieked, unable to escape. He struggled mightily but could not lose himself from their grasp.

"I don't want to bath! I don't want to bath! Let go of me, you brainless buffoons! I don't want to bath! I WANT TO PLAY!" he yelled, kicking his brother in the shin.

Keldarion hissed with a grimace, rubbing at the sore spot—another bump to add to the colorful one on his temple. Now he began to get angry.

"Oh, shut up!" the elder prince snapped with a glare. "Don't be such a pesky baby!"

The minute the words flew out of his mouth, Keldarion wished that he could swallow them back because Legolas looked deeply hurt. Even their father gave him an admonishing stare.

"Kel, that's not nice," said Thranduil as he pulled his youngest son close to him. Legolas had quit struggling and was burying his face into the king's side to hide his shame.

Sighing in regret, Keldarion touched his brother's shoulder. "Sorry, kiddo. You're not a pesky baby. Simply, you're just a brat."

Legolas slowly turned around with a shy smile. "And whose fault is that?"

They all laughed at his quick rejoinder, fully understanding what he meant. Legolas was spoiled almost rotten by his family and the palace staffs, though through no fault of his. He was the youngest _manyan_ ever known, a mystical healer of the realm who could heal all kinds of illnesses and injuries just by the simple touch of his hand.

Naturally, every one who knew Legolas cherished and treasured him greatly. The servants even stumbled over one another to fulfill his wishes at one point, so precious the little prince was to them. And, being an ordinary young boy, more often than not Legolas would take advantage of all the attention he was getting, thinking that he would get his way every time he wished it.

"Got us wrapped tightly around his little finger, he has," Thranduil had complained the day he agreed to build the tree house following a series of endless persuasion and cajoling from his son. "Someone should teach me how to say no to him."

"Come, let's all head back to the palace," the king finally said after they all stopped laughing. "It's close to dinner and, Legolas, you _really _need a bath. You smell like my old boot."

Legolas' eyes widened as he gasped out loud. "I do _not_!"

Grinning, Thranduil offered him his back. "Giddy up, boy! No more talking. It's bathing time."

Still grumbling, Legolas took a leap. He wrapped his arms around his father's neck, and his legs around his father's waist—piggy-back style.

"There'd better be some cookies afterwards," he sullenly said.

**TBC…**


	2. 2

**Tbiris**** The catch? Err…you'll see afterwards. Maybe.**

**Jedi Gollum :**** To tell you the truth, sometimes I hate reading my own stories! I mean, where the heck did I get such preposterous plotlines?**

**Leralonde**** Be careful of what you wish for. I have three very active little boys as nephews. And trust me, they are complete terrors!**

**Cierah**** All I can say is, good luck with your own little boy. Who says being a mother—or an aunt—is an easy job? Just ask me. He he he.**

**Sailor Elf :**** thank you for the dedication to my back, my front, my side and…oops. Better stop here before I go to dangerous territory. Ha ha ha!**

**Jubisaurus**** I'm glad that I'm back too!**

**Seylin**** Yes, dear. It's especially for you. (Hug you back!)**

**KeluinLossehilin**** _Sweet?_ Legolas is sweet? Hmm. I'll turn him sour then.**

**Fire Breathing Ferret :**** Cuddly but a danger to your health. Hey, I like that, mate!**

**Elemmr**** You must know what happen even though you're not sure that you want to. So, here it is!**

**LegolasLover2003**** ROTFL! You make me laugh just knowing how you laughed! Thank god for the pillow!**

**Sila**** ninque**** Yep. I'm updating as fast as I can. Keep your fingers crossed.**

**Legosgurl**** I'm sorry to hear that you got the flu, but three weeks off from work? Man! Aren't you lucky or what? Oh, and poor Fluffy.**

**Rutu**** I thought to make this a one-shot at first. But then the words just keep streaming in after the plot-bunnies returned from Siberia. This story won't be too long, by the way. It would take 3 to 4 chapters only.**

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** Now you've become my hero too.**

**Thank you so much for enjoying the elflings' antics in the previous chapter. I can still hear some of you laughing. LOL! **

**Now, on to the next chapter.**

**WARNING :**** Two stupid elflings in action! And beware of the even more stupid cliffie ahead!**

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"Legolas? What are you looking at?"

The young prince of Mirkwood released a heavy sigh as he turned around, his eyes rolling. "Arwen, will you _please_ stop following me?"

Her eyes huge and filled with curiosity, the daughter of Elrond stared back at him without blinking. "Why?"

"I don't like it."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a _girl_."

Arwen cocked her head to one side, not insulted in the least. "Why is that a problem?"

Legolas sighed again, louder this time. "Because a girl supposedly does not do what I'm going to do next."

"Oh." She still looked confused. "What are you going to do next?"

"I'm not going to tell you." He folded his arms across his chest, and gave her the most vicious glare he could muster. But Arwen was just as stubborn.

"Come on, Legolas! Tell me!" she urged as she excitedly shook his arms.

"No way!" he responded with a grimace. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you tell me what you are about to do. You had better tell me now or I'll…uh…I'll kiss you!" Arwen warned, grinning widely as she crowded closer.

Alarmed, Legolas hastily took a step back. "Kiss me? Ughhh! That's disgusting!"

To his surprise, Arwen's face instantly crumbled. Her lips started to tremble as tears filled her large blue eyes. Legolas was quick to apologize. "Forgive me, Arwen. I didn't mean to say that you're disgusting and all that. I was just…err…well, I…"

The young prince fidgeted in discomfort when he saw the tears run down Arwen's smooth cheeks. He put an arm around her slim shoulders and awkwardly cajoled her to stop crying. "There, there. Don't cry anymore. I'll let you kiss me but not now, all right? I have better things to do."

"And what's that?" she asked through her bout of hiccups.

"See that buggy over there?" He pointed at the said contraption that stood in the middle of the backyard square. It had been pulled by a large brown mare, which now waited patiently as three servants were busy removing the sacks of flour and fruits from behind the cart into the palace kitchen—the important ingredients for the coming feast. The servants, though, were not aware that the two elflings were watching them from behind a clump of rhododendron bushes a hundred yards away.

Arwen nodded, sniffling.

"I want to drive that buggy," Legolas proudly stated.

Almost at once, Arwen ceased crying. Her tears disappeared and she smiled ear to ear, causing Legolas to wonder if she had been faking her distress after all.

"Cool!" she cried out, clapping her hands gleefully. "So do I!"

"Shhh!" Legolas quickly covered her mouth with one hand. "Not so loud. And what do you mean, _so do you_?"

Arwen pushed his hand away. She was practically jumping up and down with joy. "I want to drive that buggy too! May I? May I, Legolas?"

"Absolutely not!" Legolas stood with his arms akimbo, glaring heatedly. "It's dangerous. You don't know how to handle a buggy."

"And _you_ do?"

"Yes, I do! I have driven that thing twice before."

_Without anyone's knowledge, of course_, he added in his mind. If the king only knew what his youngest son had done, no buggy or cart or carriage would be allowed on the palace ground. Ever.

"Can you teach me, Legolas?" Arwen leaned against him in her enthusiasm. "_Please_?"

It was hard for Legolas to refuse her, especially when she kept staring at him with those large soulful eyes, like a puppy begging for a treat. He squirmed as Arwen tightened her embrace.

"Oh, all right!" he finally relented, throwing his hands in the air. "But you must do everything I say. Got it?"

Arwen squealed with joy, causing Legolas to hastily grab her and pull her down when one of the servants turned around at the noise.

"Hush, will you?" Legolas hissed. "We can't let them know we are here or we will be sent back to our rooms!"

"All right, all right. Sorry," Arwen whispered back. "So, what's the plan?"

"The first plan is to stay quiet," he replied, eyeing the buggy through the gap in the bushes. "And then, when the servants go inside for refreshments after they finish unloading, I'll run and jump onto the buggy and drive it for a couple of rounds around the square. I'll put it back in the same spot before the servants come back out to stable the mare, so nobody will know."

"How many times did you say you've done this?"

"Twice."

"And you've never been caught?"

Legolas grinned. "No. I'm very slick."

"I bet you are." Arwen also grinned.

So they hunkered there behind the bushes, like a pair of spies from an enemy realm. The night sky was already filled with thousands of stars, smiling down upon the two wayward elflings. Right after dinner, Keldarion and the twins had taken off behind Linden, dogging after the commander's steps as he went through all the security measures around the palace for the festival ahead.

Thranduil was now in his parlor, entertaining Elrond and his wife, Celebrian, after chasing off his youngest son to bed. The Mirkwood king should have known from past experiences that Legolas would not stay there for long. And Arwen's parents should have guessed that their equally mischievous daughter would escape her nanny's watch.

"Oh, look! They're gone!" the little she-elf announced a while later when the three servants disappeared altogether into the kitchen.

"I know, I see it. Now stay behind me," said Legolas as he led the way, scrambling out from behind the bushes. Arwen obeyed, her face glowing with excitement.

Stifling their giggles, the two children approached the buggy and carefully stepped onto the driver's box. The mare lifted her head and turned around slightly, whickering in puzzlement at their antic. Legolas took the reins, shushing Arwen to keep her voice down all the while. That only caused her to burst into joyful laughter.

"Oh, this is going to be fun!" she exclaimed.

Legolas glared at her. "Be silent or I'll kick you over!"

Arwen smirked. "You wouldn't dare. Besides, what's the point of keeping quiet anyway? This thing is going to make more noise than I do."

"Fine." Legolas rolled his eyes, and then he grinned. "All right, here we go!"

He clucked at the mare and shook the reins. Well trained, the mare obediently moved. Arwen shrieked in slight alarm as the buggy roughly jerked forward. She then clapped her hands gleefully when Legolas turned the mare into a steady trot to circle the backyard square. So, around and around they went, with the sound of rolling wheels and the clip-clops of the mare's hoofs hitting the pavement filling the otherwise silent air.

Instead of sitting on the driver's plank next to Arwen, Legolas stood as tall as he could get, with his feet planted wide apart and chest puffing forward in a prideful stance. Now that he had an audience, he wanted to show off a bit. It was not everyday that a young prince of Mirkwood could drive a buggy with a pretty maiden for company.

"Faster, Legolas! Faster!" Arwen urged, pumping her fists in the air to prove her point.

Legolas glanced askance at her in disapproval. "We're already moving fast enough, you know."

She harrumphed in reply and rose to her feet. "Oh, give me that!"

"Hey!" The prince squeaked in surprise when Arwen yanked the reins out of his hands.

"Sit down and let _me_ drive."

"But…"

"You said you'll teach me how, remember?"

"Oh, well. If you say so." Legolas shrugged and reluctantly sat down. "Don't hold the reins too tight. The mare won't like it. Just keep it steady."

He continued to give her some pointers as Arwen turned the buggy around the square. But it didn't take her long to get bored with the scenery.

"Let's take it to the front, Legolas," she suggested, already urging the mare towards the path that led to the frontal courtyard.

"What? _NO_!" Legolas jumped up and tried to take the reins. "We need to return this buggy now before the servants appear."

Arwen resisted. "Don't be such a wet blanket, _goldilocks_. Just sit down and enjoy the ride."

"Arwen…"

"Hiyahh!" she yelled, flicking the reins all the harder. Neighing, the mare increased his speed and the buggy took off crazily down the path like a nazgul flying out of Mordor.

"Aaaa..!" Legolas cried out as he was thrown back onto the seat from the sudden momentum. Rubbing his sore bottom, he glared at his partner-in-crime who was laughing heartily with her long hair flying in the wind.

"Oh, this is fun!" Arwen exulted, grinning widely. "Can't you feel it, Legolas? Can't you feel the freedom and the exhilaration from the speed?"

Shaking his head, Legolas also had to smile because he definitely felt it too. "Now you know why I like to drive this thing. But I do suggest you slow down a bit. We don't want to crash into anything."

Arwen pouted, but did as she was told. She gently pulled back at the leather strips. To her dismay, the mare galloped on faster.

"Come on, _plumpkin_. Slow down, will you?" he complained. "We are heading right for the trees."

"I'm _trying_!" Arwen shot back, near to panic as she struggled with the reins. "But this horse is not listening to me!"

Equally alarmed, Legolas shot back to his feet and grabbed the reins, grumbling under his breath about the stupidity of the other gender—both animal _and_ elf.

"Easy, girl. Whoa! Slow down, my dear. Slow down." He pulled and tugged, calling out soothing noises to the mare. But, unused to such incompetent handling as now, the beast was spooked and would not be pacified.

"Legolas, do something!" Arwen shrieked as the trees loomed closer in front of them.

"I _am_ doing something!" he shouted in reply, wishing that he had stayed in his bed after all, having a nice dream where Arwen or the mare had no part in it.

"Legolas!"

_There's no time to stop_, he thought as he stared in horror at the neat row of pines coming towards them. The mare seemed determined to dash straight between the trees. No problem there, she could fit through. But the cart she dragged was another story.

"Jump, Arwen!"

"_What_?" She sounded incredulous, hardly believing that Legolas would even suggest such a thing.

"Just jump or we'll be crushed into bloody smithereens!"

"But I can't…"

Without further words, Legolas seized her hand and gathered her close.

A second later, the mare burst between the trees, the buggy following in her wake. The sound of her shrill neigh filled the air, echoed by the sickening sound of wooden planks smashing upon the rough tree trunks. There was also the sound of two children screaming in fright.

And then everything went totally silent.

**TBC…**


	3. 3

**MCross**** The horse is all right, thank god.**

**Astalder27**** Actually, the two will have some booboos to cry over. In the end, Arwen might even give Legolas a big wet kiss!**

**Cierah**** Keep on giggling, even if this chapter makes you want to hit at someone.**

**Yami**** Tai :**** Yep. That's my job—killing you softly with my cliffies! Ha ha ha! Err…you…you want to translate my fics into German? Are you kidding me? That's so sweet! Go ahead, mellon! You're now officially appointed as my German translator!**

**Beginning-end-314 :**** HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!**

**Ceyxa**** 'Twin Terrors'. Ha ha. So fitting!**

**Sailor Elf :**** Now you make me want to go watch 'Lion King' again. (But where the blazes did I put the dvd?)**

**Legosgurl**** Sorry, mate. You just lost your 50 bucks. **

**Fire Breathing Ferret :**** Hey, nice rhyme!**

**Sesshynagel**** Well, what did you expect? Leggy learned how to brag from his own father! Like they said, good traits should start early from home. LOL! **

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** I don't know if I can shake off that cliffie habit. It's already in my blood.**

**Jedi Gollum :**** You go girl! Don't ever give up!**

**Tbiris**** And here's the biggest catch.**

**Rutu**** He he he. You got it all correct, mellon! Especially the elven bellowing. LOL! And, no, this won't be like 'Too Much' at all. The horse will be fine, don't worry. Really, I don't know why the plot-bunnies went to Siberia (Maybe because it's so cold there that they can freeze their butts off?). Hmmm. Come to think of it, yeah, I did use the name Galdor in 'Token of Love', and then I used it again in the previous fic. I just can't keep the elven names straight, can I? But I assure you those two Galdors are two different persons, no relations whatsoever. (Mumbling away as she jots down all the elven names she has used in her series…)**

**Okay. Now we come to the climax of this story—daddy's explosion. Some of you might hate Thranduil afterwards.**

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In the grand parlour, the king of Mirkwood was still deep in conversation with his two special guests. He stopped in mid-sentence and bolted upright when he heard a loud crash coming from the courtyard. "What in Arda was that?"

And then he heard the children screaming.

Sitting next to Lord Elrond, Lady Celebrian turned as white as snow. Her maternal instinct instantly kicked in. "Arwen!"

The three parents jumped to their feet and ran out the door. Thranduil was at the front, dashing madly through the long hallways with his robes flying about him. Harried and worried, he was imagining the worst for he had also heard Legolas' scream. As he ran, his heart thudded loudly in his ears as his fear for his youngest child started to overwhelm him.

_What has Legolas gotten into this time? Valar, let him be safe and that he's only playing around. Please, let him be safe._

They burst through the great doors and flew down the courtyard steps. There, on the left side of the front lawn where a row of pines stood like sentinels, they saw a growing crowd surrounding the wreckage. The crowd which consisted of the night guards and the palace staff quickly made way for their king when they saw him coming.

Followed closely by Elrond and his wife, Thranduil headed directly towards the two small figures sitting on the ground, not far from the remains of the buggy. Legolas was gently holding Arwen's left arm, which was bent at an awkward angle. Pale and shaken himself, the young prince was putting his healing skill at work as everyone watched in silent dismay.

The frightful jump from the runaway buggy did not injure Legolas much, except for some minor scrapes and bruises. Unfortunately, Arwen had landed hard on her side, breaking her arm. She was silently sobbing now from the pain as Legolas tended to her, her eyes large and tearful as she stared beseechingly at her parents.

"You will be fine, my dear. You will be all right," Celebrian crooned, sitting next to her daughter and pulling her close without jarring the injured arm. "Legolas will heal you."

Arwen only sobbed harder. After kissing her head, Elrond looked around for explanation. "Did anyone see what exactly happened?"

His hands fisted at his side, Thranduil glared down at his son's bent head, saying not a word. He could already figure out what had happened.

A guard stepped forward and related what he had seen. "The buggy was moving very fast, my lords, too fast for Prince Legolas to control," he said. "He and Lady Arwen had to jump, mere seconds before it crashed into the trees."

Both Arwen and Legolas opened their mouth to speak but Thranduil beat them to it. "Is the arm still broken?" he curtly asked.

The two children only blinked at first. And then, with tears still streaming down her cheeks, Arwen replied. "Not anymore, my lord. Legolas has completely healed it."

"I'm sorry, father," Legolas spoke softly, daring not to meet his father's eyes. "I…I know we shouldn't have taken the buggy…"

"NO, YOU SHOULDN'T!" Thranduil shouted, finally losing hold on his temper. He was so angry his entire frame shook with it. "What were you thinking, Legolas? Have you totally lost your mind?"

"I…I was just…uh…taking it out for a… a short ride," Legolas stuttered as he nervously stood and faced his father. "I thought it…it would be fun…"

"_Fun_?" The king fumed. With one angry move, he yanked his son's left ear and gave it a vicious twist. "You think this is fun? You are lucky Arwen only broke her arm! What if she had broken her _neck_? What then, Legolas? Do you still think it is fun!"

"No…" Legolas sobbed, wincing as his father gave his ear another painful twist. "Father, please…I'm sorry…"

Thranduil continued to rant, the volume of his voice growing higher by the minute. No one wanted to be anywhere near the Mirkwood king when he was in that kind of vile mood, so some of the servants quickly dispersed while the rest of them hastened to clean up the wreckage. The guards also ran away to capture the fleeing mare.

In the background, Arwen was wailing. Legolas himself tried hard to stop crying, but pain, and fear of his father caused his tears to fall unchecked.

"This is intolerable, Legolas!" Thranduil finally released his son. The prince stumbled backwards, holding his reddening ear. "Arwen could have been killed just now, do you realise that? You leave me with no choice but to punish you for what you've done. You are grounded for a week and you are not allowed to attend the fun-fair carnival. So now, I want you to head back to your room—where you _belong_—and wait for me there. It's time your backside learnt the taste of my belt so you won't forget not to make such deadly mistake again."

Lady Celebrian gasped. Pushing her daughter into her husband's arms, she rose and tried to push Legolas behind her. Lord Elrond yanked her back. "Stay out of it, my dear," he softly said.

"But he…"

"It's _his_ son. We shouldn't interfere."

Celebrian glared daggers back at him. "Why ever not?"

Elrond shook his head. "It's his right to discipline his child."

"It is wrong."

"So why did you smack Elrohir's palms with your ladle after he burnt down half the kitchen when he was Legolas' age?"

"That's _different_," she hissed back.

"Oh?" Elrond dryly cocked an eyebrow at that but said no more.

Meanwhile, Legolas was standing as still as a statue as he gaped at his father. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. _Father wants to belt me?_

"Well? Why are you still here? Get to your room now!" Thranduil snapped, and began to unfasten the leather belt from around his waist. "Or do you want to have it right here?"

His tears streaming down his face, Legolas fled.

Gritting his teeth, Thranduil stared hard at his son's progress before turning to survey the servants who were still cleaning up the debris. "Bring me the person responsible for leaving this buggy unattended," he barked to the nearest guard. "Such negligence must not go unpunished."

The guard bowed and hastened to do the king's order. His face forbidding, Thranduil whirled and marched determinedly back into the palace, heading directly towards Legolas' bedroom.

_Let's get this over and done with_, he grimly mused. _That silly boy has gone too far. Arwen could have been killed, Rivendell and Mirkwood might have turned to war, and…_

"My lord, no! Please, no!"

That caused Thranduil to stop in his tracks. As he turned around, he was startled when little Arwen launched herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably as if her heart was breaking. Elrond and Celebrian were following not very far behind her. The Lady of Rivendell opened her mouth to speak but her husband held her back, his head shaking and his eyes sharp with warning.

Frowning at the silent pair, the Mirkwood king looked down at the weeping young maiden in front of him. He knelt so that their eyes were at the same level. "Arwen? What…?"

"Please don't hurt Legolas. It's not his fault that we crashed the buggy," she said between hiccups. "It's _my_ fault, my lord. Not his."

Thranduil stared uncomprehendingly. "What are you talking about?"

Arwen sniffled as she explained, "It was I who drove the buggy. Legolas was just…just teaching me how. He told me not to go fast, and not to take the buggy outside the square. But…but I didn't listen to him. I drove the buggy up front, and I made the horse go very fast. Legolas was only trying to help when the mare went out of control, but he couldn't manage so we had to jump."

As Thranduil grew visibly pale, Arwen continued, "We know what we did was wrong, my lord. But please don't blame Legolas. If you really have to hit someone, then hit me. _I_ caused the crash. I won't have anybody else take the blame, especially not Legolas. He is my best friend so please don't hurt him."

Thranduil's felt as if he had been hit by lightning. He stared in dumbstruck awe at the little daughter of Elrond and Celebrian, having difficulty taking it all in.

Arwen didn't take that as a good sign. She started crying again in earnest, tugging at Thranduil's belt. "Hit me, my lord! I'll take the punishment in Legolas' stead. You may do what you want with me but don't harm your son…"

Seeing that his daughter was getting a bit overdramatic, Elrond quickly intervened. "Arwen, that's enough. I think Lord Thranduil gets the point now."

Celebrian bent over and scooped her daughter up into her arms. "There, there, baby. Lord Thranduil is not going to hurt _anyone_."

She said the last sentence with a sharp glare in Thranduil's way. Avoiding the lady's gaze, the king straightened and looked straight at her daughter. "I'm not going to hurt anyone, my dear. I promise."

The girl blinked the tears out of her eyes, biting her lips. "I'm so sorry, my lord. I should have told you sooner before you twisted Legolas' ear."

Thranduil winced as if he was bodily attacked. He gulped uneasily before saying, "Why didn't Legolas tell me all of this himself?"

Chuckling weakly, Elrond clapped a hand on Thranduil's shoulder. "I believe your noble son was trying to protect my daughter. Quite chivalrous of him, don't you think?"

That only made Thranduil felt a lot worse than before. He briefly closed his eyes with a sigh, Legolas' tearful face playing in his mind.

"You must think I am a terrible father," he said in a voice so low that Celebrian and Elrond had to strain their ears to hear him.

Celebrian stepped closer and gently placed a palm on Thranduil's cheek. She tenderly smiled. "You're not a terrible father, my lord. You are a very good one, but you are not perfect. You make mistakes sometime. And _this_ is one of them."

Thranduil wearily shook his head. "I had better go see Legolas. Valar knows how he is feeling right now."

"I'll come with you!" Arwen announced and started to wiggle out of her mother's arms.

Celebrian was having none of it. "Oh no, young lady. _You_ are coming with _me_. Just because you escape Lord Thranduil's punishment, doesn't mean you're going to escape mine."

"But, _mother_…" her daughter whined. Celebrian sent another smile towards Thranduil before she went up the stairs with Arwen squirming in her arms. The two elven lords proceeded to follow after them.

"I think I had better join my two ladies. Knowing those two, they will need a referee," Elrond said with a grin when they reached the upper floor. Then he softly added, "Go see to your son, Thranduil. The boy is hurting."

Thranduil nodded and went the other way. When he reached Legolas' door, he paused and worked up the courage to apologize to his son, and to admit that he was wrong for hastily jumping to a conclusion. He also wanted Legolas to know that Thranduil's recent anger with him had nothing to do with spite. It was sheer terror that had made him lose control on the rein of his temper. Legolas needed to see that his father still loved him dearly, no matter what happened.

Taking a deep breath, Thranduil pushed open the door. But as he stepped inside, he immediately knew something was not right.

Legolas was not in his room.

In fact, he was nowhere to be found.

**TBC…**

**NOTE :**** Being a parent is a _very_ interesting job, don't you think?**


	4. 4

**Tbiris**** Sarcasm noted. **

**Leralonde**** That's right. All good parents want only the best for the children, even if it kills them to carry out the punishment for their kids' bad behavior. **

**Seylin**** Arwen wants to thank you for the perfect ten you gave her! Err…no, Leggy is not going to make a pet friend in this story.**

**Courtney**** Thank you very much, girl. You just made me blush.**

**MCross**** LOL! Forget the horse! Everyone's going to turn up fine in the end.**

**Sesshyangel**** Oh, yeah. I know _exactly_ what you mean. I have three cute but hyper-active little nephews. Need I say more?**

**Joee1**** Need not worry about Leggy's little backside, mate. We are going to see more of it in the near future!**

**Rutu**** Because of you, I update _today_ instead of tomorrow. LOL! Nope. He's not on the ledge.**

**KeluinLossehilin**** Aw, go and kiss his ears then.**

**Yami**** Tai :**** Unfortunately, I know nothing of German except for 'gutten moggen' and 'gutten tag'. Err…did I sound funny to you? Did I get it right? Can you teach me some phrases so that I can confuse my boss? He he…**

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** Your feelings may be correct.**

**This is it, everyone. Believe it or not, we've come to the last chapter of this fic. Starting from tomorrow, I'll be in Sepang to watch the Malaysia Formula 1 Grand Prix. Woohoo! (I hope Kimi from McLaren Mercedes wins this round). **

**And now, for the grand finale.**** (Someone might not think it so grand though, thinking that this story is too cheesy and that it has too many clichés. LOL!).**

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Thranduil was frantic. He had searched every nook and cranny of his large palace but still he couldn't find Legolas.

He had burst into Arwen's chamber earlier, almost expecting to see his son hiding there from him. Instead he had found Arwen sitting meekly in her bed, being scolded by her mother as her father looked on with a benign smile.

Elrond had taken one look at his friend's face, and instantly knew that Legolas was not where he was supposed to be. He had instantly joined Thranduil in the search. And now, they were outside in the courtyard, giving orders to the guards to help look for the missing prince. Even the servants were told to resume the hunt within the palace walls.

Thranduil's heart was quaking terribly inside. He now knew true fear as he recalled the last time Legolas had gone missing. The prince had been found only a week later, lying weak and half dead deep in the old dungeon. Thranduil had vowed never to go through such horror again. But it looked as if his worst nightmare was about to repeat itself.

"Father!" Keldarion suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, giving Thranduil quite a start. The king had almost forgotten about his other son.

"What's going on? Why are the guards rushing about?" the elder prince asked. Elladan and Elrohir behind him looked as intrigued. Commander Linden stood a bit further apart. He had just been briefed by one of his deputies of the current situation, and his face clearly showed his concern for Legolas' wellbeing.

"Your brother is missing, Kel," Thranduil reluctantly told Keldarion.

"What? _Again_?" Keldarion exclaimed in great dismay. "How did this happen?"

"It's a long story. What's important now is we must find him fast," Elrond quickly jumped in before a mighty explosion could occur. Keldarion was very protective of Legolas. If he found out that his own father had caused his younger brother's hurt, the usually level headed crown prince of Mirkwood would blow his fuse and spit nails there and then!

"We can help," Elrohir said.

"Where do we start?" Elladan asked next.

"The tree house," Elrond suggested. "You two can look for him there."

The twins ran off towards the tree that had been their playground earlier in the day. Linden took some guards with him to search the dungeon. On instinct, Thranduil rushed into the garden, Elrond and Keldarion running after him. Some of Thranduil's staffs were already there, climbing up the trees or combing through the bushes. They all kept calling for Legolas' name but received no answer in return.

"My lord!"

The king whirled around and saw his stable master hurrying towards him. "What is it? Do you know where my son is?"

"I believe I do, my lord," the other elf replied. "I found him hiding under the black nettle bush behind the stable yard. I couldn't reach him and he won't come out."

"_What_?" Keldarion was deeply shocked.

"The black nettle bush?" Thranduil had turned deathly pale.

"Valar help us," breathed Elrond. He then took off for the stables behind Thranduil and the others.

The stable master took them directly to the clumps of black nettles that grew high behind the main stable. The surrounding bushes had been there for ages. The purpose was to pen in the royal horses, to prevent them from running wild into the woods beyond. Nobody had thought that a child would make it his hiding place because the plant had long and sharp stinging thorns. Even its dark leaves were covered with small, irritant hairs that could cause inflammation to the skin. Either Legolas was not thinking of the danger, or he was too scared of his father to even think straight.

"I found Prince Legolas here quite by accident, my lord," the stable master explained as he knelt down to peer at an opening under the bushes. "One of the stallions acted strangely and kept dragging me here. So I looked around and—and _there_ is his highness, my lord!"

Thranduil unceremoniously shoved the stable master out of the way and crouched down, sending the poor elf tumbling onto his back. Keldarion tried to copy his father's move but the king was taking most of the space as he lay flat on his belly on the ground, peering into the dark and narrow space beneath the bushes.

Legolas' bright silver eyes were staring back at him from deep within the shadows.

"Leg…Legolas?" Thranduil was alarmed to hear his own voice breaking. He tried again, "Legolas, please come out, my son."

Legolas didn't answer, but Thranduil could hear his son's pitiful weeping. As the king inched forward, he heard a rustling sound as the little prince scrambled deeper into the bushes. He also heard his son cry out softly from pain.

"Legolas, are you all right?"

His son still refused to answer him. Never before had Thranduil felt so helpless in his life. All he wanted to do was dive straight into the thorny brambles and get his child to safety, but it seemed that Legolas was still afraid to let his father near him.

"Please, Legolas, come to me now. I'm not going to hurt you."

Thranduil's acute senses felt the probing stare that Keldarion was aiming at the back of his head. If the time was right, his elder son would have confronted him and demanded full explanation. For the time being, though, Keldarion was keeping his head cool as he helped coax his brother from the bushes.

"F…father?"

Thranduil and the others went still when they finally heard Legolas' hesitant voice. "Yes, Legolas. I'm here. Come out now, my son."

"I…I can't," Legolas sobbed. "I'm stuck. My hair is caught among the thorns."

They all exchanged horrified glances at that.

"I'll go in and get him," Keldarion announced, already dropping to his haunches.

"No, _I'll_ go," Thranduil said as he straightened and began to strip off his outer robe.

"But…" Keldarion and the stable master began to protest. Thranduil ignored them. By that time, the palace guards were already swarming the area, and they all eagerly volunteered to rescue their beloved _manyan_ prince. Some were even unsheathing their swords to cut down the plant. Unfortunately, their king was not listening.

"Thranduil, you had better cover your head," Elrond suggested. "You don't want your hair to get tangled with the brambles."

Thranduil nodded. Taking a dirk out of his boot, he then used the small blade to hack at the large sleeve of his robe. He tied the cloth around his head, making sure no strands of his golden tresses were visible. The king's personal valet would die on the spot if he saw the tragic fate of the beautiful rich garment, only Thranduil didn't give a damn about his valet's feelings. The most important thing right now was his little boy, trapped and frightened under the black nettle bush.

Gripping his dirk, Thranduil settled back onto his belly and prepared himself to enter the small opening. "Hang on, Legolas. I'm coming to get you."

"Yes, father." Legolas' weeping had receded into a bout of sniffles.

"Just stay where you are, all right?"

"No problem. I can't move anyway."

In spite of the situation, Thranduil softly chuckled. _Looks like that silly boy still has his sense of humor!_

Inch by agonizing inch, the Mirkwood king crawled among the brambles towards his son. His tunic caught on the thorns but he simply yanked at it, totally unfazed at the sound of ripping cloth. If his valet started to get hysterical over it, Thranduil would cheerfully throw him over the cliff!

"Father?"

"I'm coming, son. Ouch!" Thranduil bit down an oath when a thorn scraped against his cheek.

"Are you all right, father?" Concerned, Legolas stared hard at his father's approaching form.

"I'm well. Don't worry. These stupid thorns are attacking me, that's all."

Thranduil was glad to see that his small joke managed to evoke a smile out of his son. He grinned back at Legolas as he finally got close enough to touch him. "Hello, there. Want a ride home?"

"Father!" Legolas threw himself into his father's arms—or rather, he tried to. He had forgotten about his caught hair, and he ended up crying out in anguish.

As his son broke down and wept, Thranduil gingerly gathered him close and squeezed him. "It's all right, it's all right. I'm going to set you free."

"It stings…" Legolas whimpered, wiping at his tears.

"I know, son. I know," his father crooned, kissing his temple.

"I'm so sorry, father."

"Shh, baby. I'm sorry too. We have lots to talk about. But first let's get you out of this mess, shall we?"

Legolas nodded and looked up, his eyes widening. "What is that you're wearing on your head? You look like a…a corsair pirate!"

Thranduil laughed. "_Pirate_? Why, Legolas, have you ever met a pirate before?"

"No, but I've seen a picture of one in a book."

"Hmm, I'm curious to know what you've been reading all these years," the king mused out loud. He kept a flow of easy conversation with his son to distract the boy while he sawed his blade against the thorns to release Legolas' hair.

"Let's go, father," Legolas exclaimed the moment he was free. "Now I realize how dark it is in here."

"Hold on for a second." There was barely a space for Thranduil to maneuver but he managed to take off his tunic. He wrapped the garment around his son's body, covering him from head to foot. Telling his son to embrace him tightly, the king worked his way towards the direction he had come from.

"All right, Legolas. Here we go. Don't let go of me."

"I won't, father."

At his son's reply, Thranduil made for the exit on his hands and knees, his son clinging beneath him. The plant was cruel on his bare torso but he barely felt the pain. Legolas was saved. That was all that mattered.

When they emerged not long after, the father and son received a wild cheer and applause from the crowd that had been anxiously waiting. Elated, Keldarion reached over and took Legolas from the king's arms, lightly scolding his younger brother for causing him great worry. The younger prince just gave a teary grin for all the attention he was getting.

Elrond shook his head as he gazed at his friend's half-naked frame, up and down. "Being a father is a lot of fun, don't you agree?" he stated with a knowing smile.

Thranduil made a face at that. "Aye. A lot more fun than being a king," he quipped, and turned to gather Legolas back into his embrace. The young prince was scratching like mad, his skin turning all red. "Let's go, my little hellion. We need to put some chamomile oil on those scratches before they get worse."

"Oh, you also have some scratches on your chest and arms, father. Not to mention this one on your cheek," Legolas said, touching his father's face.

Keldarion was walking next to them, staring in awe at Thranduil the entire time. This was the first time he had seen his father looking so…well, _strong_. Stripped of his conventional robe and with the cloth wrapped around his head, Thranduil looked dashingly masculine. His muscles rippled as he carried his youngest son back to the palace. From his current position Legolas couldn't see them, but the bleeding nicks and cuts on the king's back were completely visible to Keldarion's eyes. The injuries must be stinging like the devil, but his father acted as if they didn't bother him in the least.

"I'm sorry, father. Truly," Keldarion heard Legolas say to the king.

Chuckling softly, Thranduil hugged Legolas tighter, making his little son squeak in delight. "And I have to repeat, I'm sorry too. I just learnt the whole truth from Arwen, so I know you shouldn't hold the entire blame. But you did take the buggy in the first place, and that's where you were wrong."

"I know." Legolas sighed, resting his head against his father's shoulder. "Are you still going to punish me, father?"

"Hmm." Thranduil gazed up at the star-filled sky, as if looking for answer. When he looked back at his son, there was a big smile on his face. "I think you've been punished enough by the nettle bush, so we let it pass. _But_, I can only let you attend the fun-fair carnival if you promise me one thing."

"What's that, father?"

"Don't ever take _anything_ without permission again, understand?"

Legolas blinked. "That's it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"You are not going to belt me?"

"No, I won't, _unless_ you repeat what you did today."

"All right, father. I promise I won't take anything before asking for permission."

"Good."

"But you also need to promise me something, father."

"Oh? And what is that, I wonder?"

"If anything like this happens again, promise me that you will ask the right questions first and yell at me later."

Thranduil stared at the innocent expression on his son's face, and broke into laughter.

Puzzled, Keldarion turned to Elrond. "My lord, what _exactly _happened while I was gone?"

Elrond couldn't help laughing himself. He placed a hand on the prince's shoulder. "Oh, the usual thing happened, dear Keldarion. Just the usual thing."

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Legolas woke up the next day to someone kissing his lips.

He blinked. Arwen's looming smiling face instantly filled his vision. "Rise and shine, goldilocks."

"Aahhh…!" Legolas bolted upright and away from the young maiden. In his excitement, he went tumbling off his bed in a tangle of pillows and blankets. Arwen laughed as he swore fluently.

"I didn't realize how scared you are of me, Legolas."

Legolas blushed furiously as he picked himself from the floor. "I'm not scared of you."

She smirked. "Then why did you scream?"

"I was startled, that's all. Don't do that again." Legolas glared. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

Grinning, she sat on the bed and played with the tassel on Legolas' pillow. "Look out your window."

Frowning, Legolas did as he was told. His eyes instantly went huge at what he saw. "There's a giant swing in the garden!"

"Yes! Isn't it great?" Arwen jumped to her feet and rushed to stand next to him, bubbling with joy. "They put it all together overnight. Let's go out there and take a ride."

Legolas hesitated. "But…aren't you supposed to be grounded?"

Arwen rolled his eyes and laughed. "My father lifted the ban my mother put on me. She complained that I've worked a spell on him, can you believe it?"

Then she wrinkled her nose. "But I still need to write down '_I won't be naughty again_' a hundred times. Now that won't be fun at all."

"Don't worry, Arwen. I'll help you."

She gazed at him, blushing slightly. "Thank you, Legolas. You are a very good friend. I'm sorry I dragged you into trouble yesterday."

Legolas grinned. "No problem. I'm used to it."

They broke into a giggling fit at that. And then Arwen exclaimed, "Come, let's go! I can't wait to ride the swing!"

"Wait! Let me get dressed first."

In record time, Legolas changed into his outdoor clothes—a first time feat without his servant's help. Therefore, his long hair went uncombed and his jerkin didn't match with his leggings. Not caring of how adorably rumpled he looked, the prince grabbed the maiden's hand and ran outside into the garden where several other peculiar contraptions had been assembled for their amusement.

The Spring Festival had just started, and the people were streaming in from every corner of the realm. Ribbons and flowers were everywhere, and there was music and singing voice floating in the air. The elves had smiles on their faces, joy filling their hearts.

Thranduil was about to formally open the grand banquet when he caught sight of the two elflings dashing across the lawn.

Legolas' face brightened when he saw his father. He waved. "Father! I'm going to ride the swing!"

"Err…" The king was speechless for a moment, and then he started to run after his son who was already climbing into the seat of the giant swing. Her face rosy, Arwen took the other seat beside him.

"Great, here we go again," Elrond muttered, also running towards his daughter. Keldarion and the twins were right behind him. Lady Celebrian could only shake her head, smiling indulgently.

They were already too late. Legolas and Arwen were practically airborne when they reached them, swinging higher and higher like a pendulum during a storm.

"Father! Catch!" Legolas suddenly shouted the moment he leaped off his seat, flying towards the king.

Horrified, Thranduil quickly spread his arms and caught his son, barely aware that Elrond was doing the same thing to his daughter.

The elflings hastily got down and ran back to the swing, crying out, "That was awesome! Let's try again!"

The two fathers glanced ruefully at each other. "Right. Being a father is a _lot_ of fun."

**THE END**

**There. Finished already. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it (my three little nephews were my inspiration). And thank you to all these faithful reviewers for giving me the boost the keep on writing; A NuEvil; Astalder27; Aurehen; Beginning-end-314; Ceyxa; Cierah; Coolio02; Courtney; Daw the minstrel; Deana; Delano; Elemmr; Elven Fire Goddess; Fire Breathing Ferret; Haldir's Heart and Soul; Jedi Gollum; Joee1; jubisaurus; kalayna; kel; KeluinLossehilin; kylia; Legolas4me; Legolas' Garden Light; LegolasLover2003; legosgurl; leralonde; Manwathiel; MCross; Nessa Thranduiliel; Opalkitty; PyroDragonGirl; Rutu; Sailor Elf; seeing spots; Seylin; Sila ninque; tbiris; Yami Tai **

**TERIMA KASIH!**

**And Sara, my beta, are you still jealous of me for getting close to Jacques Villeneuve yesterday? Trust me, girl, he didn't even glance at my face. He just said hi and signed our F1 mag and turned to the next fan. That's all. Still jealous? Good. Remember that I'll be in Sepang for the GP and you'll be at home watching the repeat telecast on tv! LOL! Oops. Sorry. Please tell me that you are still beta-ing for me? _Please?_ Anyway, thanks a million, girl. You are my lifesaver!**

**I also would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to treasure your family, whether they are your parents or your children or your siblings or anyone else close to you. Show them your love and your appreciation (even though they make your life miserable sometimes). Tell them that you care for them, and make the effort to let them know that they are special in your heart. Remember, some of us are not so lucky to have any family at all, so treasure what you have before it's gone. **

**For the coming fic, I have one in store. I call it 'The Tomb In The Desert'. Eldarion is a teenager in this, and a rebellious teenager at that. He is bound to drag someone into trouble. And who is that someone? You guess right. Leggy, of course! But Leggy is not alone. He will drag along his brother! Yeah, I know. That sounds totally lame, but my plot bunnies still want this written. LOL! **

**Reading**** Interest : Right now, I'm reading Book Three of David Edding's The Belgariad series. I know some of you might have read it a million times already, so pardon me for being a little out of date. I just discovered this author. But to others who haven't read it, if you like sorcery and adventure with a toss of wisecracking warrior in the blend, go find this books. You won't be disappointed. **

**See you next month!**


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